FAQ

I bake.
For anything and everything.  I also cook somewhat frequently.  And one thing I am almost ALWAYS asked is this, "Where did you learn to cook/bake?"  Are you ready for this answer?

I don't know.  I honestly don't remember learning how to cook or bake.  When I was little, I remember being very excited to cook family dinner.  I've always loved wearing aprons and strictly remember wearing aprons when fixing dinner for my family.  These dinners were really just Mac 'n' cheese or butter noodles maybe some pasta.  But I would always set the table and light some candles to create a "mood" and then take everybody's order.  Now I use cooking or baking as a way to celebrate/relax/cheer up/etc.  I can be in the worst of moods and whip up a batch of my great grandma's chocolate chip cookies and I'll be instantly happier.  I'm watching Julie Julia and it's exactly as Amy Adams says, it's like I'm under her influence.  I always feel happier, more content when I'm baking.  It's one piece of her that I'll always have.  This cookie recipe is extraordinarily dear to me.  She never really told anyone how she made the best chocolate chip cookies in the world and so when she passed away, we were at a loss.  One summer, I set out to discover her secret.  And ya know what?  I DID! But I'm not telling! :-P
Last night, I got stood up.  That feeling kind of sucks... a lot.  And I didn't have anything to clean obsessively because my apartment is rather extremely clean!  So I baked cookies and the whole time I was working on the dough, I just got to feeling a little bit better.  Knowing that combining the same ingredients will always create the same outcome: a mixture of a dense cookie with chocolate chips.
Some people run when they need to clear their minds and some people blast music or take a bubble bath.  Me? I spend some quality time with my Kitchen Aid and my apron.  It calms me, it's my zen!